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Glutathione is an important constituent of grapes, must, and wine. However, to date, no review has provided an integrated view of the role of this compound in wine-related systems. In this review, special emphasis is given to its occurrence in grapes, must, and wine and its role as an antioxidant in wine. The effect of glutathione on both desirable and undesirable aroma compounds is also outlined. Furthermore, the use of glutathione-enriched products in winemaking and the various analytical techniques for the quantification of glutathione in must and wine are discussed. Limitations in existing knowledge are also identified.

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The atmosphere consists of approximately 21% oxygen (O2). It plays a crucial role in many metabolic and chemical reactions on earth, thus it is of little surprise that it plays a very important role in the winemaking process. Wine can never be completely protected from it. The general use of sulphur dioxide as an anti-oxidant dates back to the early 18th century and the protection of wine from unwanted oxidative spoilage has been recognised . Oxygen can influence the composition and quality of wine drastically, either positively or negatively, and this will be the focus of this review. This review will also focus on the basic steps involved in oxidation, substrates for oxidation in wine and the evolution of wine constituents during the wine production process when in contact with different concentrations of O2. Basic reactions of oxygen in wineOxidation is the process where electron transfer takes place between reductive and oxidative partners. In wine, O 2 is predominantly responsible for this, with it being reduced to certain intermediates and eventually to hydrogen peroxide and then water. Molecular O2 exists as a diradical and is thus in a triplet ground state. This limits the reactivity of O2 and it cannot form bonds by accepting electron pairs. However, the addition of a single electron, originating from reduced transitional metal ions, can overcome this limitation. This leads to an unpaired electron in the resulting negatively-charged superoxide radical, with a second electron transfer resulting in a peroxide anion (Miller et al., 1990;Danilewicz, 2003). This phenomenon results in O2 being involved in various reactions in wine. Substrates for oxidation in winePhenolic molecules originating from grapes can basically be divided into the non-flavonoids and the flavonoids. The nonflavonoids, which are hydroxybenzoic and hydroxycinnamic derivatives, originate from the grape juice, and are normally the principal phenolic molecules in white wines at concentrations ranging from 50-250 mg/L, depending on the cultivar, winemaking techniques, etc. Examples of non-flavonoids are the tartaric esters of caffeic acid, p-coutaric acid and furanic acids. These molecules have been shown to be the main phenolic molecules in white wine that did not receive prolonged periods of skin contact, because they occur at higher concentrations in the grape juice (Margalit, 1997;Monagas et al., 2005).The second main group of grape-derived phenolics is the flavonoids. This group of molecules basically consists of two phenolic rings attached to a pyran ring. The flavanoids have a more complex structure than the non-flavonoids. In a young wine they are normally in a more unpolymerised state, but as wine matures they undergo different polymerisation reactions in which O 2 plays an important role. The most important flavonoids in wine are the anthocyanins, flavanols and flavonols. Anthocyanins occur mainly in the skins of red grape cultivars and are responsible for the colour of red wine. In young red wines their concentrations can range fr...

Aims:  The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of free molecular and bound forms of sulphur dioxide and oxygen on the viability and culturability of a selected strain of Acetobacter pasteurianus and a selected strain of Brettanomyces bruxellensis in wine. Methods and Results:  Acetic acid bacteria and Brettanomyces/Dekkera yeasts associated with wine spoilage were isolated from bottled commercial red wines. One bacterium, A. pasteurianus strain A8, and one yeast, B. bruxellensis strain B3a, were selected for further study. The resistance to sulphur dioxide and the effect of oxygen addition on these two selected strains were determined by using plating and epifluorescence techniques for monitoring cell viability in wine. Acetobacter pasteurianus A8 was more resistant to sulphur dioxide than B. bruxellensis B3a, with the latter being rapidly affected by a short exposure time to free molecular form of sulphur dioxide. As expected, neither of these microbial strains was affected by the bound form of sulphur dioxide. The addition of oxygen negated the difference observed between plate and epifluorescence counts for A. pasteurianus A8 during storage, while it stimulated growth of B. bruxellensis B3a. Conclusions:  Acetobacter pasteurianus A8 can survive under anaerobic conditions in wine in the presence of sulphur dioxide. Brettanomyces bruxellensis B3a is more sensitive to sulphur dioxide than A. pasteurianus A8, but can grow in the presence of oxygen. Care should be taken to exclude oxygen from contact with wine when it is being transferred or moved. Significance and Impact of the Study:  Wine spoilage can be avoided by preventing growth of undesirable acetic acid bacteria and Brettanomyces/Dekkera yeasts through the effective use of sulphur dioxide and the management of oxygen throughout the winemaking process.

The effect of oxygen on the levels of glutathione, an important antioxidant, in must and wine was studied using a novel LC-MSMS method for the analysis of reduced and oxidized glutathione. This study found that the storage of grape juice at high SO2 and ascorbic acid levels at -20 degrees C did not lead to a decrease in reduced glutathione levels. The effect of varying the oxygen levels in South African white grape juices, which included a reductive treatment (less than 0.3 mg/L dissolved O2 added), a control treatment (between 1.0 and 1.5 mg/L dissolved O2 added), and an oxidative treatment (3.5-4 mg/ L dissolved O2 added, without SO2) on reduced glutathione levels in the juice and resulting wine was also investigated. A custom build press was used to press whole bunches of two different Sauvignon Blanc and Colombard grapes. Alcoholic fermentation and oxygen additions to the must led to lower reduced glutathione levels in the wine. Reduced glutathione levels were only significantly higher in the wine made from reductive juice that had the highest initial reduced glutathione levels in the grapes.

The presence of biogenic amines in wine is becoming increasingly important to consumers and producers alike, due to the potential threats of toxicity to humans and consequent trade implications. In the scientific field, biogenic amines have the potential to be applied as indicators of food spoilage and/or authenticity. Biogenic amines can be formed from their respective amino acid precursors by various microorganisms present in the wine, at any stage of production, ageing or storage. To understand the large number of factors that could influence the formation of biogenic amines, the chemical, biochemical, enzymatic and genetic properties relating to these compounds have to be considered. Analytical and molecular methods to detect biogenic amines in wine, as well as possibilities that could enable better control over their production levels in wine will also be explored in this review.

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